JP4392495B2 - Measurement of media data usage by remote decoding / pattern matching - Google Patents

Description

The present invention uses a remote decoding and / or pattern matching techniques, to systems and methods for identifying and / or measuring the use of the media data collected by the location of the user.

  The technique used to determine the program or other content the audience has enjoyed is intended to collect such data at the audience location. Various systems have been proposed for this purpose. In one variation, a stationary device is placed near a television, radio, computer or the like to monitor media data at the audience location.

  In another modification, it has been proposed to use a portable device to convey it around the audience and collect data about programs and other content that the audience was receiving.

  The signals obtained by such devices are monitored via direct electrical connections or by sensors such as microphones, light sensitive devices, capacitive pickups or magnetic sensors. In general, such devices detect the presence of ancillary codes in the media data, or otherwise extract a signature for pattern matching from this and store this code or signature. Later, processing at a remote location. In order to obtain statistically reliable audience statistics, it is necessary to engage with a relatively large number of survey participants, and thus there are relatively many monitoring devices such as stationary and portable devices as well. It is necessary to supply. It is therefore desirable to minimize the complexity of such devices and minimize their costs.

  In this application, the following terms and definitions shall apply to both singular or plural nouns and all verb tenses.

  The term “data” as used in this document refers to any indicia, signal, mark, symbol, domain, which may be permanent or temporary, visible, audible, acoustic, electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic or otherwise specified. , Symbol set, display, and any other physical form or form representing information.

  As used herein, the term “set” means any collection of elements, things or data.

  As used herein, the term “amplitude” refers to values of energy, power, voltage, current, charge, intensity, size, magnitude and / or pressure, but based on an absolute or relative basis, discrete A value that is measured or evaluated on a continuous or continuous basis, on an instantaneous or cumulative basis, or otherwise.

  The term “media data” as used herein is distributed over storage media or otherwise widely accessible via air or via cable, satellite, network, internetwork (including the Internet). It means data, but here is irrelevant to its form and contents, and includes, but is not limited to, audio data and video data.

  As used herein, “coupled”, “coupled to”, “coupled with” are each (a) directly or one or more other devices, apparatus, Connection via a file, program, media, component, network, system, subsystem or means or (b) directly or one or more other devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, component, network, system, Any of the functional relationships in which the communication relationship through the subsystem or means or (c) the operation of one or more of the other depends entirely or in part on the operation of the other one or more Between two or more devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, components, networks, systems, subsystems and / or means that constitute one It is intended to mean the relationship.

  As used herein, the term “signature” refers to a data set derived from the content of media data.

  As used in this document, the terms “communicate” and “communication” refer to the transmission of data from a source to a destination and the transmission of data to a communication medium, system or link so that it can be transferred to the destination. Including both.

  As used herein, the term “processor” means a processing device, apparatus, program, circuit, system, and subsystem implemented in hardware, software, or both.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for measuring the use of the media data received by the location of the user is provided, the media data is reproducible as a comprehensive image or comprehensive audio And at least a portion of the media data has an ancillary code. The method includes receiving a data set at a processing system located remotely from a user's location, the data set decoding the ancillary code in the media data or forming a signature to form the media data Including the data sufficient to identify, but at the same time excludes data required to play comprehensive images and sounds, and of the processing system located at a remote location; By the way, (a) detecting the incidental code based on the data set; and (b) generating a signature characterizing the media data and matching the generated signature with a reference signature associated with the identification data of the media data; Performing at least one of the following.

According to another aspect of the present invention, although a system for measuring the use of the media data received by the location of the user is provided, the media data can be reproduced as the complete picture or comprehensive audio In addition, at least a part of the media data has an accompanying code. The system is a means for receiving a data set at a processing system located remotely from the user's location, the data set featuring sufficient or media data to decode ancillary code in the media data. Said means including sufficient data to form a signature to be attached, and at the same time excluding data required to reproduce comprehensive images and sounds; and (a) data associated with the code; Performing at least one of detecting based on the set and (b) generating a signature characterizing the media data and matching the generated signature with a reference signature associated with the identification data of the media data; Processing means placed at the processing system.

Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of a system for measuring the use of the media data representing the information received by the location of the user. The system includes a monitoring device 20 at a user location that monitors media data, as shown in step 25 of FIG. When acoustic data including media data is monitored, the monitoring device 20 is typically a microphone that receives media data in the form of acoustic energy and has an input that converts the acoustic energy into electrical data. There is. When monitoring media data in the form of light energy such as video data, the monitoring device 20 takes the form of a light sensitive device such as a photodiode or a video camera. The light energy that includes the media data may be, for example, light emitted from a video display. Device 20 may also take the form of a magnetic pickup that senses the magnetic field associated with the speaker, a point-of- pickup that senses an electric field, or an antenna for electromagnetic energy. In another embodiment, device 20 is for a monitored device, which may be a television, radio, cable converter, satellite television system, game playing system, VCR, DVD player, portable player, computer, web equipment or the like. It takes the form of electrical connections. In yet another embodiment, the monitoring device 20 is implemented as monitoring software running on a computer or other playback system that collects media data.

  In one embodiment, the monitoring device 20 is a stationary monitoring device located near a television, radio, computer, web equipment, cable converter, satellite television system, game playing system, VCR, DVD player or the like. As realized. In other embodiments, the monitoring device 20 is implemented as a portable device that is carried by the user to collect data regarding the media data that the user is receiving.

  Since the monitoring device 20 is coupled to the input of the processor 30 at the user's location, the processor 30 can receive media data from the monitoring device. The processor 30 operates to generate a data set that represents some but not all of the information represented by the media data, as shown in step 35 of FIG.

  The processor 30 may continue to detect a code (such as an incidental code and / or identification code) from the data set, form a signature that matches a library of signatures representing known media data, or A data set is formed by erasing portions of the media data that are not needed for further processing at a remote location where both processes are performed.

  Referring again to step 35 of FIG. 2, in one advantageous embodiment, processor 30 converts the received media data into frequency domain data, and then selects a portion of this frequency domain data, Form a data set. According to an alternative of this embodiment, the media data is converted to frequency domain data in the form of amplitude data for each of a plurality of frequency ranges. Each of these ranges corresponds to a predetermined identification code component and / or ancillary code component present in the media data. In some of these embodiments, the amplitude data is formed by generating a ratio of amplitude data within a certain frequency range to noise level based on amplitude data outside such frequency range. In some variations of this technique, this ratio is formed as a signal to noise ratio.

  In yet another embodiment, a data set of time domain data is formed. In some embodiments, the data set is obtained by subsampling time domain data, by averaging or combining values of such data over time, or by deleting time segments of data. Formed by. In other embodiments, the time domain data is generated by selecting a portion of such time domain data from a frequency range that is narrower than the frequency range of the media data. In some such embodiments, this time domain data is formed by filtering media data.

  In yet another embodiment, the data set consists of data representing phase information. An alternative technique for forming such phase information is to compare the phases of simultaneously occurring media data components from different frequency ranges or bins, i.e., the phases that make up one or more single frequency components. Or comparing time-shifted media data values or combining such techniques.

  The communication device 40 is coupled with the processor 30 to receive data. The communication device 40 is placed at a remote location including the additional communication device 70 and the remote processor 60 via the communication system, link or medium 50 as shown in step 45 of FIG. Communicate to the processing system. In some embodiments, the communication device 40 is a modem or network card that converts the data set into a format suitable for communication over a telephone network, cable television system, WAN or wireless communication system. In embodiments that communicate data wirelessly, the communication device 40 includes a suitable transmitter, such as a cellular telephone transmitter, a wireless Internet transmitter unit, an optical transmitter, an acoustic transmitter, or a satellite communication transmitter.

  Device 70 is appropriately selected and coupled with device 40 so that it receives the data set as communicated over system, link or medium 50. The communication device 70 is coupled to the remote processor 60 and provides a data set thereto for generating identification data, as shown in step 55 of FIG.

  In some embodiments, the remote processor 60 processes the data set to detect an identification code and / or an incidental code for media data therein based on the data set. In another embodiment, the remote processor 60 generates a signature of the media data based on the data set based on the data set, and the generated signature is made available at a processing system located at the remote location. By matching with a reference signature. In some embodiments, the reference signature is derived from a database maintained at a processing system located at a remote location, while the reference signature is a remote source such as a server accessing a database located at a remote location. There are also embodiments obtained from

  The reference signature is associated with identification data that serves to identify the media data from which the reference signature was obtained. Thus, once the generated signature is reliably matched with the reference signature, the identification data associated with the reference signature serves to identify the media data represented by the received data set.

  Some advantageous and suitable techniques for detecting identification codes in media data are assigned to the assignee of the present application and are hereby incorporated by reference and incorporated herein by reference. No. 764,763. Other suitable decoding techniques are described in US Pat. No. 5,579,124 to Ajala et al., Fardue, each assigned to the assignee of the present application, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. US Pat. Nos. 5,574,962, 5,581,800 and 5,787,334 to Fardeau et al., US Pat. No. 5,450,490 to Jensen et al. And Neuhauser No. 09 / 318,045 in their name.

  Yet another suitable decoder, PCT publication WO 00/04662, to Srinivasan, US Pat. No. 5,319,735 to Preuss et al., Petrovich, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. Patent No. 6,175,627 to Wolosewicz et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,828,325, U.S. Patent No. 6,154,484 to Lee et al., Smith et al. No. 5,945,932 to PCT Publication No. WO 99/59275 to Lu et al., PCT Publication No. WO 98/26529 to Lu et al. And PCT Publication No. WO 96/26 to Lu et al. It is the subject of 27264.

  In some embodiments, processor 30 forms a data set of frequency domain data, and processor 60 processes the frequency domain data in the data set to detect an identification code or an accompanying code therein. When configured as described in US Pat. Nos. 5,764,763 or 5,450,490 to Jensen et al., Frequency domain data is processed by processor 60 to obtain a predetermined frequency. Detects the code component possessed. When the code is formed as described in Srinivasan PCT Publication No. WO 00/04662, processor 60 processes the frequency domain data to detect code components that are distributed according to a frequency hopping pattern. In some embodiments, the code component includes a pair of frequency components that have been amplitude modified to encode information, and processor 60 detects such amplitude modification. In certain other embodiments, the code component includes a pair of frequency components whose transport has been modified to encode information, and the processor 60 detects such phase correction. If the code is formed as a spread spectrum code as described in US Pat. No. 5,579,124 by Ajara or US Pat. No. 5,319,735 by Preuss et al., Processor 60 Has a suitable spread spectrum decoder.

  There are advantageous and suitable techniques for performing a pattern matching process to identify media data based on a data set. Some such techniques are described below with reference to FIG.

  Other suitable techniques for extracting signatures from media data and matching these signatures with reference signatures are assigned to the assignee of the present invention, each of which is incorporated herein by reference to both Ellis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,729 to Thomas et al. And U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,398 to Thomas et al.

  Yet another suitable technique is U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,479 to Moon et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,209 to Kiewit, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,466 to Lert et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,933 to Whiteley et al. And U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,070 to Welsh et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,730 to Shulze et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,562 to Kenyon et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,562 to Kenyon et al. No. 551 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,990 to Lert et al.

  According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the monitoring device 20 receives media data that can be played as a comprehensive image or sound at the user's location, the received media data being incidental thereto. Have a code. The processor 30 excludes the data required to play the comprehensive image or the comprehensive sound and at the same time decodes the identification code and / or the incidental code in the media data or forms a signature. The data set is formed from the media data by including sufficient data to identify such data.

  In certain variations of these embodiments, audio data or image data picked up by the monitoring device 20 is converted to the frequency domain or received as frequency domain data. The portions of the frequency domain data that are useless in order to identify such data by decoding or forming a signature or an identification code of audio data or image data are erased. While not limited thereto, these codes are preferably added to the audio data according to the inaudible encoding technique of US Pat. No. 5,764,763. Since these codes themselves are inaudible in the reproduced audio data, the inaudible portion of the audio data is erased from the data set without losing the data needed to decode the code. It will be appreciated that other types of inaudible codes are recovered in this manner.

  Similarly, if encoded image data is collected by the monitoring device 20, it is desirable that the code to be recovered is visually impossible or minimal. In this way, the data set is formed to contain the data needed to decode the code, while at the same time the data needed to reproduce the comprehensive image is erased. The United States for Rhoads, a suitable image encoding technique that generates an encoded image with visually unperceivable or minimal encoding artifacts and decodes it, which is incorporated herein by reference. US Pat. No. 6,122,403, US Pat. No. 6,208,745 to Florencio et al., US Pat. No. 6,205,249 to Moskowitz, and Maes et al. Subject of US Pat. No. 6,198,832, US Pat. No. 5,737,025 to Dougherty et al. And US Pat. No. 5,737,026 to Lu et al. .

  In other variations, time domain audio media data or image media data received by the monitoring device is useless to decode such identification codes or incidental codes or to form such signatures. This is reduced by erasing important parts. Such data reduction can be achieved, for example, by filtering or sub-sampling, averaging or otherwise combining data, or eliminating time segments of data.

  Thus, the amount of data contained in the data set can be significantly reduced, which facilitates storage and communication of the data set. This also protects the privacy of the audience near the monitoring device 20 by preventing comprehensive sound or image playback.

  In FIG. 3, a data set is generated at the user's location so that if an identification code and / or ancillary code is present in the media data, it is extracted from the data set and no such code exists. An advantageous embodiment is shown in which the data set is used to generate a signature for use in a signature matching process. In step 100 of FIG. 3, time domain audio data, such as data obtained from the output of the microphone, is obtained by fast Fourier transform (“FFT”), wavelet transform, digital filtering or other time to frequency domain transform. Transmitted to the frequency domain. If audio data is initially received in the form of frequency domain data, this step is not necessary.

  The frequency domain data undergoes a data extraction process in step 110 to generate a reduced data set, so that the data needed to detect the identification code and / or ancillary code, if present, is the Although present in the reduced data set, a significant portion of the audio information will not be included in the reduced data set. This reduced data set is not only a compressed virgin for the audio signal, but also excludes the data needed to generate a comprehensive version of the audio signal. As a result, this process not only results in significant data reduction beyond the level achieved with signal compression, but it also ensures privacy.

  The reduced data set thus generated is communicated from the user's location to a processing system located at a remote location, as shown at step 120. This data set is then subjected to a code detection process 130 that is performed by examining the frequency content of the data set. If a code exists, a record of this code is created at step 150, as shown at step 140. Alternatively or additionally, the detected code is matched with an identification code for media data in a database accessible to a processing system located at a remote location.

  If no code is detected, a matching process 160 is performed. During this matching process, a signature is generated based on the data set. There are several alternative techniques for extracting the signature. In that alternative technique, the entire data set is used without modification as a signature. In another alternative technique, a portion of the data set is selected as the signature. In yet another alternative technique, a signature is generated based on the data set by combining the data or otherwise processing for signature generation. Some of these processes involve pairing, as in the audio signature forming technique disclosed in Ellis et al., US Pat. No. 5,612,729, which is incorporated herein by reference. The resulting frequency data is selected from the data set and used to form a ratio representing the components of the generated signature.

  The signature generated in this manner is then compared to a reference signature stored in a database accessible to a processing system located at a remote location. The matching process is performed, for example, in the manner disclosed by Ellis et al. In US Pat. No. 5,612,729. Once a positive match is found, a record of this match is created, as shown in step 170.

  There are many suitable techniques for generating the reduced data set at step 110. If the audio signal is encoded according to Srinivasan PCT Publication No. WO 00/04662, these frequency components, including code components, are retained, while frequency components not including code components are substantially excluded. The

  The advantageous technique used in the case of encoded audio data, as in Jansen et al. US Pat. No. 5,764,763 or US Pat. No. 5,450,490, is described with reference to FIG. I will explain. In the technique of FIG. 4, as shown in step 200, audio data is transformed into the frequency domain by FFT or another suitable method if it is not already in the frequency domain.

  The noise amplitude in the vicinity of the frequency of the code component that can occur is estimated in step 210. This is achieved by examining the amplitude of the frequency component in such a neighborhood. For example, components having an amplitude below a threshold, such as an average or intermediate amplitude or a fixed value, are combined, averaged, or otherwise processed to produce a representative noise amplitude.

  Next, at step 220, a signal to noise ratio for each possible code component is determined based on the data amplitude at that frequency relative to the noise amplitude near that frequency. In one embodiment, ratios above the upper threshold are excluded as having a high probability of representing non-coded audio signal components, and ratios below the lower threshold are excluded as noise. This process is performed at step 230. In an alternative embodiment, ratios above the above threshold are still retained when the data set is formed. In yet another embodiment, all ratios are retained and step 230 is omitted.

  This retained ratio is stored at step 240 until it is suitable for communicating the data set to a remote processing system. As indicated by step 250, a decision is made to communicate when predetermined criteria are met. For example, if data is collected by a monitoring device carried by the audience, the device is coupled to a base station as described in Brooks et al. US Pat. No. 5,483,276. Data is communicated while in the air. Instead, the decision to communicate this data is made based on the amount or elapsed time of the stored data or based on the establishment of a communication path by the device for transmission and / or reception of other data. . Once the criteria for data communication are met, the stored data set is communicated to a processing system located at a remote location, as shown at step 260.

  In this embodiment, each data symbol can be encoded with a relatively small number of frequency components, so that a relatively low ratio is required to encode the symbol in a remote processing system. As a result, the size of the data set can be limited to facilitate the storage operation and the transmission operation.

  Although the present invention has been described with reference to advantageous embodiments, arrangements of elements or steps, features and the like, there is no intent to limit or exclude all or any of the possible embodiments, arrangements or features, Indeed, other modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment that is an advantage of the present invention. It is a flowchart used for description of operation | movement of embodiment of FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart used to describe an embodiment of the present invention for generating identification data from audio media data and / or acoustic media data. FIG. 4 is a flow chart used to describe one alternative for implementing the embodiment of FIG.

Claims (73)

A method for measuring the use of the received media data at the user location, the media data is reproducible as a comprehensive image or generic audio, also, incidentally code to at least a portion of the media data And the method comprises:
A step of receiving a data set at the processing system is placed from the location of the user to a remote land of the data set, sufficient data to decode the ancillary codes in the media data including the other hand, it is intended to exclude the data needed to reproduce the generic image or the comprehensive voice, and said step;
Processing the data set to detect the ancillary code at a processing system located at the remote location;
Including said method. Receiving the media data at a monitoring device at the user's location;
Forming the data set in the monitoring device from the media data;
Communicating the data set from the user's location to a processing system located at the remote location;
The method of claim 1, further comprising:   The method of claim 2, wherein the step of forming the data set comprises converting at least some portion of the received media data into frequency domain data.   The step of forming the data set includes generating amplitude data for each of a plurality of frequency ranges of the frequency domain data, each frequency range corresponding to a predetermined component of the accompanying code. The method according to claim 3.   The method of claim 4, wherein each of the amplitude data is formed as a ratio of amplitude data in a corresponding frequency range to a noise level based on amplitude data outside such corresponding frequency range.   The method of claim 2, wherein the data set includes data representing time domain information.   The method of claim 6, wherein the time domain data includes data from a frequency range that is narrower than a frequency range of the media data.   The method of claim 2, wherein the data set includes data representing phase information.   The method of claim 2, wherein the media data includes audio data.   The method of claim 2, wherein the media data includes video data.   The method of claim 2, wherein the media data is received as acoustic energy.   The method of claim 2, wherein the media data is received as electromagnetic energy.   The method of claim 12, wherein the media data is received as light energy.   The method of claim 2, wherein the media data is received as magnetic energy.   The method of claim 2, wherein the media data is received as electrical energy. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving media data comprises receiving media data in a portable monitoring device that can be carried by a user person.   The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the ancillary code comprises processing frequency domain data.   The method of claim 17, wherein the frequency domain data is processed to detect a component of the incidental code at a predetermined frequency.   The method of claim 17, wherein the frequency domain data is processed to detect components of the incidental code distributed according to a frequency hopping pattern.   The method of claim 19, wherein the code component comprises a pair of frequency components whose amplitudes are modified to encode information.   The method of claim 19, wherein the code component comprises a pair of frequency components that are phase modified to encode information.   The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the incidental code comprises detecting a spread spectrum code. A system for measuring the use of the received media data at the user location, the media data is reproducible as a comprehensive image or generic audio, also, incidentally code to at least a portion of the media data And the system is:
A means for receiving a data set at the processing system is placed from the location of the user in a remote place, the data set is sufficient data to decode the ancillary codes in the media data including the other hand, it is intended to exclude the data needed to reproduce the generic image or the comprehensive voice, and said means;
Wherein in order to detect the incidental code, and said to process the data sets, arranged processing means at the processing system is placed in the remote;
The system comprising: Means for receiving the media data at the user's location;
Means for forming the data set at the user's location from the media data;
Means for communicating the data set from the user's location to a processing system located at the remote location;
24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:   25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to convert at least some portion of the received media data into frequency domain data.   The means for forming the data set is operable to generate amplitude data for each of a plurality of frequency ranges of data in the frequency domain, each frequency range corresponding to a predetermined component of the accompanying code; 26. The system of claim 25.   The means for forming the data set is operable to form each of the amplitude data as a ratio of amplitude data in a corresponding frequency range to a noise level based on amplitude data outside such corresponding frequency range; 27. The system of claim 26.   25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to include data representing time domain information.   30. The system of claim 28, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to select the time domain data from a frequency range that is narrower than a frequency range of the media data.   25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to include data representing phase information.   25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for receiving the media data is operative to receive the media data as acoustic energy.   25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for receiving the media data is operative to receive the media data as electromagnetic energy.   The system of claim 32, wherein the means for receiving the media data is operative to receive the media data as light energy.   25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for receiving the media data is received as magnetic energy.   25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for receiving the media data is received as electrical energy.   24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processing means includes means for processing frequency domain data to detect the accompanying code.   37. The system of claim 36, wherein the processing means is operative to process the frequency domain data to detect a component of the accompanying code at a predetermined frequency.   The system of claim 36, wherein the processing means is operative to process the frequency domain data to detect components of the incidental code that are distributed according to a frequency hopping pattern.   39. The system of claim 38, wherein the processing means is operative to detect an associated code frequency component pair whose amplitude has been modified to encode information.   39. The system of claim 38, wherein the processing means is operative to detect a pair of accompanying code frequency components that are phase modified to encode information.   24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processing means is operative to detect the incidental code in the form of a spread spectrum code. A method of measuring use of media data received at a user location, wherein the media data can be played back as a comprehensive image or a comprehensive sound, the method comprising:
Receiving a data set at a processing system located remote from the user's location, wherein the data set includes sufficient data to form a signature for identifying the media data; Said step, which excludes data required to play said comprehensive image or said comprehensive audio;
Generating a signature characterizing the media data at a processing system located at the remote location and matching the generated signature with a reference signature associated with identification data of the media data;
Including said method. Receiving the media data at a monitoring device at the user's location;
Forming the data set in the monitoring device from the media data;
Communicating the data set from the user's location to a processing system located at the remote location;
43. The method of claim 42, further comprising: 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of forming the data set comprises converting at least some portion of the received media data into frequency domain data. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the data set includes data representing time domain information. 46. The method of claim 45, wherein the time domain data includes data from a frequency range that is narrower than a frequency range of the media data. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the data set includes data representing phase information. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the media data comprises audio data or video data. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the media data is received as acoustic energy, electromagnetic energy, light energy, magnetic energy, or electrical energy. 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the step of receiving media data comprises receiving media data in a portable monitoring device that can be carried by a user person. A system for measuring the use of media data received at a user's location, wherein the media data can be played back as a comprehensive image or a comprehensive sound, the system comprising:
Means for receiving a data set at a processing system located remote from the user's location, wherein the data set includes sufficient data to form a signature for identifying the media data; Said means for excluding data required to reproduce said comprehensive image or said comprehensive audio;
A process located at a processing system located at the remote location to generate a signature characterizing the media data and to match the generated signature with a reference signature associated with the identification data of the media data Means;
The system comprising: Means for receiving the media data at the user's location;
Means for forming the data set from the media data at the user's location;
It means for communicating a pre-Symbol dataset processing system placed in the remote from the location of said user;
52. The system of claim 51, further comprising: 53. The system of claim 52, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to convert at least some portion of the received media data into frequency domain data. 53. The system of claim 52, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to include data representing time domain information. 55. The system of claim 54, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to select the time domain data from a frequency range that is narrower than a frequency range of the media data. 53. The system of claim 52, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to include data representing phase information. 53. The system of claim 52, wherein the means for receiving the media data is operative to receive the media data as acoustic energy, electromagnetic energy, light energy, magnetic energy, or electrical energy. A method of measuring use of media data received at a user location, wherein the media data can be played back as a comprehensive image or a comprehensive sound, the method comprising:
Receiving a data set at a processing system located remote from the user's location, the data set decoding the ancillary code if ancillary code is present in the media data; Including sufficient data to form a signature to identify the media data, while excluding data required to play the comprehensive image or the comprehensive audio And said step;
At the processing system located at the remote location:
If the ancillary code is present in the data set, processing the data set to detect the ancillary code; and if the ancillary code is not detected in the data set, the media Generating a signature characterizing data and matching the generated signature with a reference signature associated with identification data of the media data;
Including said method. Receiving the media data at a monitoring device at the user's location;
Forming the data set in the monitoring device from the media data;
Communicating the data set from the user's location to a processing system located at the remote location;
59. The method of claim 58, further comprising: 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the step of forming the data set comprises converting at least some portion of the received media data into frequency domain data. 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the data set includes data representing time domain information. 62. The method of claim 61, wherein the time domain data includes data from a frequency range that is narrower than a frequency range of the media data. 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the data set includes data representing phase information. 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the media data comprises audio data or video data. 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the media data is received as acoustic energy, electromagnetic energy, light energy, magnetic energy or electrical energy. 60. The method of claim 59, wherein the step of receiving media data comprises receiving media data in a portable monitoring device that can be carried by a user person. A system for measuring the use of media data received at a user's location, wherein the media data can be played back as a comprehensive image or a comprehensive sound, the system comprising:
Means for receiving a data set at a processing system located at a location remote from the user location, wherein the data set decodes the ancillary code if ancillary code is present in the media data; Including sufficient data to form a signature to identify the media data, while excluding data required to play the comprehensive image or the comprehensive audio And said means;
Processing means located at a processing system located at the remote location, wherein the processing means detects the ancillary code if the ancillary code is present in the data set; If the data set is processed and no accompanying code is detected in the data set, a signature characterizing the media data is generated, and the generated signature is used as a criterion associated with the identification data of the media data. Said processing means for matching with a signature;
The system comprising: Means for receiving the media data at the user's location;
Means for forming the data set from the media data at the user's location;
It means for communicating a pre-Symbol dataset processing system placed in the remote from the location of said user;
68. The system of claim 67, further comprising: 69. The system of claim 68, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to convert at least some portion of the received media data into frequency domain data. 69. The system of claim 68, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to include data representing time domain information. The system of claim 70, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to select the time domain data from a frequency range that is narrower than a frequency range of the media data. 69. The system of claim 68, wherein the means for forming the data set is operative to include data representing phase information. 69. The system of claim 68, wherein the means for receiving the media data is operative to receive the media data as acoustic energy, electromagnetic energy, light energy, magnetic energy, or electrical energy.

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